Objectives and Description:
Critical raw materials (CRMs) are defined by the European Commission as « raw materials of great importance to the EU economy, the supply of which is associated with high risk ». Their technological and economic importance, combined with concerns about their future availability as a result of geopolitical and geological factors, has led to increasing attention being paid to the raw materials used to produce energy from renewable sources. Indeed, in order to build the energy infrastructure essential to meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, significant quantities of mineral resources need to be mobilized. The International Energy Agency also points out that an energy system powered by low-carbon energy technologies needs many more minerals, including copper, silicon and silver for solar photovoltaics. There is currently no shortage of these mineral resources, but recent price rises (copper in particular) show that supply may struggle to keep pace with global climate ambitions. The European Commission recently moved from concern to policy with its action plan on critical raw materials. The criticality of these materials calls for their recycling and the improvement of technologies that do not depend on mineral resource management, which are the two pillars of a global approach to mineral safety.
Deadline to apply: September 15th 2024 to be sent to
The application requires the submission of a CV.
USMB will cover accommodation from Sunday night, November 17, 2024, to Thursday night, November 21, 2024.
